Military

Soldiers of the South Korean army’s special forces perform in the snow during a winter survival exercise in Pyeongchang, some 200km east of Seoul. The drill originally was designed to prepare for possible North Korea attacks.

Ultra-orthodox Jews and rabbis gather during a demonstration to support ultra-orthodox Jews detained for refusing to report to a military recruitment centre in front of the Israeli military prison 6 near Haifa, Israel. Israeli police say more than a thousand people have protested.

Aviation boatswain’s mate 2nd class Tyler Stives from Spring, Texas, inspects a catapult after a launch aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington during annual exercise 2013. The carrier took part in a naval drill with Japan in waters off southern Japan, just days after it took part in relief operations in the Philippines. The US Navy would not confirm the coordinates but said the drill took place about 300 km southeast of the Okinawa islands. This is in the general vicinity, though not within, the airspace defence zone that China established last week.

SPC Michael Fashion of the US Army’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, holds his daughter Malia Banks after a homecoming ceremony in the Natcher Physical Fitness Center on Fort Knox early on Wednesday morning. 250 soldiers returned to Fort Knox after a nine-month combat deployment working alongside Afghan military and police forces in Afghanistan.

Egyptians gather in Cairo’s Mohammed Mahmud street to mark the two-year anniversary of anti-military protests that broke out nine months after the ousting of Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Dozens of supporters and opponents of the army gathered in Tahrir Square on Tuesday to mark the anniversary. Earlier a memorial to those killed in Egypt’s uprising was defaced by anti-military protesters.

Indian Air Force Sarang helicopter display team performs during the Indian Air Force Day celebrations at the Hindon air force station on the outskirts of New Delhi. The IAF celebrated its 81st anniversary on Tuesday.

Visitors try out small weapons on HMAS Darwin at the Royal Australian Navy’s Sydney base on Garden Island. The open day was part of the navy’s celebrations to mark 100 years since its first ships entered Sydney Harbour. Other events included an International Fleet Review with visiting warships from Britain, Singapore, Japan, India, Thailand and the United States.

A young boy yawns during early morning self defense training at a summer boot camp on the outskirts of Beijing, China. Running in its fifth year, the youth military summer camp first opened in 2008, when it only had a handful of students signed up. Today the camp caters to over 2,000 kids a year over a two month period. The camp is ran mainly by former military, police, and fire fighters, looking after kids ranging from 6 to 17 years of age, with 70 percent being boys and 30 percent girls.

An F-16 fighter jet from South Korea‘s air force flies over Seoul Air Base during the 65th anniversary of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces Day on Friday. This year’s event opened with 11,000 troops, about 190 armed vehicles and about 120 military aircraft.

Members of Kenya’s security forces crouch behind a wall outside the Westgate Mall in the capital, Nairobi, on Monday morning. The country’s military, which has launched a major operation at the upscale Nairobi mall, said it had rescued “most” of the hostages being held captive by al-Qaida-linked militants during the standoff that killed at least 68 people and injured 175.

Israeli soldiers during a military exercise on Thursday near the border with Syria, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Tensions are rising in Israel amid international talks of a military intervention in Syria

An Afghan National Army soldier walks on Nader Khan Hill in Kabul, Afghanistan. Celebrations to mark the country’s 94th Independence Day from Britain include a small military parade and folk festivals in the capital on Monday

Junior Soldiers from 19 Platoon, Burma Company make final preparations before a graduation parade on Thursday in Harrogate, England. The Army Foundation College in Harrogate opened in 1998 and provides training for soldiers destined for all the Army’s career paths and provides training for 1344 junior soldiers. During their time at the college the students are taught basic military skills and can achieve vocational qualifications, City and Guilds apprenticeships and take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The graduation parade is the largest in Europe and is only exceeded in size by the Trooping of the Colour in London.

Polish Air Force’s PZL TS-11 Iskra aircraft perform a formation fly-over during a military parade as part of the celebrations of the Polish Armed Forces Day, in Warsaw, Poland. The Armed Forces Day is in remembrance of a victorious battle of Polish troops against the Red Army in 1920

A firefighter attempts to extinguish a fire at the site of an aircraft crash in Mogadishu, Somalia. An Ethiopian military aircraft carrying ammunition crash-landed at Mogadishu’s international airport on Friday, bursting into flames and killing at least one crew member.

Musicians from Mexico on Wednesday take part in a working rehearsal at Redford Barracks for the 2013 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland. This year’s Tattoo runs from August 2 – August 24, and includes performances from Mongolia, Korea, Malta, Mexico, Oman and New Zealand.